By Gemma Lougheed - 7th June 2005
Europe needs debate over the EU’s political and economic direction, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.
Blair urging EU leaders to give citizens answers after French and Dutch rejection of the European constitution.
Europe’s heads of state and government gather in Brussels next week to decide the fate of the EU constitution.
The British leader will argue that French and Dutch voters did not dismiss European integration but needed to be convinced.
“They are simply saying: ‘We have got immediate problems on jobs, on the impact of globalisation, on security, on immigration, on organised crime – and what do you the leadership of Europe say to us?,” he told FT Europe.
“I think in order to make progress we have to answer in a clear way. And in particular … we have got to show how you can have a new European social model for today’s world.”
Blair insisted that the UK, despite suspending its own referendum, did not think the European constitution is dead.
But Blair made no commitment or hint as to whether the constitution would be revised under the UK presidency which starts on July 1.
“It is not for Britain to turn round and say the constitution is dead.”
“I think the constitution is a perfectly sensible way forward and at some point Europe is going to have to adopt rules for the future of Europe and if it doesn't it is not going to function properly,” he said.
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